“Boosteren”, i.e. to get the covid-19 vaccine booster shot, is the word of the year in Luxembourg. Last year’s word was “corona”. Photo: Shutterstock

“Boosteren”, i.e. to get the covid-19 vaccine booster shot, is the word of the year in Luxembourg. Last year’s word was “corona”. Photo: Shutterstock

Covid-related terms dominate this year’s ranking of words of the year in Luxembourg, organised by the Zenter fir d’Lëtzebuerger Sprooch (Centre for the Luxembourgish Language), RTL and Radio 100,7, though hip-hop has also invited itself to the party.

Boosteren”. Even for non-Luxembourgers, the word of the year is easily understandable. Well, almost.

Indeed, instead of “booster”, the organisers preferred the verb “boosteren”, i.e. the act of getting the shot.

Between 29 November and 13 December, 495 entries were received by the jury. In second place was a tie between “CovidCheck” and a word from the hip-hop scene, “sheesh”, translated by the organisers into “o mäi Gott” ( “oh my God”).

At the foot of the podium are “Solidaritéit”, which needs no translation, followed by “Schwurbler/Schwurblerin”, from German, for those who talk, talk and talk about subjects they have no expertise in.

This article in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.